[BITList] Hindustani

[John Feltham]

G’day Mike,

An answer of some sort for you from CK.



>> 
>> I have recd a query from someone on the British India Company site asking what does SELWALE mean, it is a crew member’s rank on a ship.  I seem to think that there was a word SELWAR ?
>> 
>> Would be grateful for any advice.  The Officers on the ships used to speak a kind of Hindustani Baht.


Hi John

The suffix -wala just means someone who has the prefix article. A person who has, say, a motorcycle would be referred to as motorcycle-wala. Or, someone with a topi (that is a hat!) would be referred to as Topi-wala. etc etc etc.

"Wale" is the plural of "wala".

Unfortunately, I can't begin to imagine what "sel" is! Nor have I heard of any such rank on a ship.

"Selwar" is what the pyjama that an average Indian girl wears. Od course, at times, men also wear a similar garment.




ooroo

Whatever you do will be insignificant,
but it is very important that you do it.

Mahatma Gandhi.




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